South Carolina House of Representatives District 68 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in South Carolina, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 68 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 68

Incumbent Heather Ammons Crawford defeated Ernest Carson in the general election for South Carolina House of Representatives District 68 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Heather Ammons Crawford (R)	71.9	10,910
		Ernest Carson (D)	28.0	4,243
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	11

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,164
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Ernest Carson (D)

Being accountable to the people in the district.

Bringing government back to the people.

I’m the messenger. You’re running, not me.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Ernest Carson (D)

Highway, roads and infrastructure development. During every session of the Legislature our representatives talk about the proposed I-73 interstate highway and yet the money is never there to finally build it. My district is filled with areas that regularly flood and it's especially vulnerable to hurricanes. Having more road and highway access is vital for evacuations, even aside from it's effects on tourism and local business.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Ernest Carson (D)

I believe State House Representatives should represent and be accountable to all people in the district including both the haves and have-nots. They should bring to the floor ideas that will improve their districts and work to make them so.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Ernest Carson (D)

I want to give District 68 back to the people!

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Ernest Carson (D)

When I was a young man, I can't remember exactly how old I was, my mother sent me out to pick up some items from the store for her. This was in Birmingham, AL where we lived and I stumbled into a Civil Rights demonstration led by Martin Luther King. The demonstrators, including children were being attacked by fire hoses. Not too long after that I remember the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Ernest Carson (D)

"Wake Up Everybody” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. It's my favorite song and I've taken it on as my campaign slogan. I'm particularly inspired by the lyrics, “The world won't get no better if we just let it be, the world won't get no better, we gotta change it yeah, just you and me.”

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Ernest Carson (D)

The environment. Climate change is a huge concern for us on the coast, not only from the rise in sea level, but also the increase in major storms hitting there area. My district is very vulnerable to flooding and not enough is being done to alleviate that. Also, at the level of the state we are being asked to take on too much when it comes to disposal of nuclear waste. We need to get rid of the NIMBY mentality about this and find other sites and methods to dispose of this rather than sending the bulk of it to SC.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Ernest Carson (D)

I do not. I think it's more important that they know the people they represent. Far too often we find ourselves with only rich people going into government and once they win their election, they no longer have to be in touch with the have-nots. This is especially true were they have the ability to draw and gerrymander their own districts.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Ernest Carson (D)

I not only believe it's beneficial. I believe it's my obligation to do that. We’re all pulling the same wagon. We have to talk to each other in order to accomplish anything, else nothing will get done. If I'm elected to the State House I feel that I will need to speak with local city and county legislative bodies on a monthly basis so we can work in concert with each other and serve the will of the people.

See also

More about these elections:

• South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

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